Sơn Đoòng in Vietnam: The World’s Biggest Caves!

The Sơn Đoòng caves in Vietnam, which were recently recognized as the largest caves in the world, have finally opened for guided tours. Hidden in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the Quang Binh province of Vietnam, the Sơn Đoòng (“mountain river” in Vietnamese) caves are comprised of a cluster of 150 or so caves, many of which have still not been surveyed. Surprisingly for a long time no one knew the caves were that big, as they remained uncharted until 2009 when a group of British explorers first wandered into their depths.

Due to the challenging structure of the caves, they are very difficult to traverse. In fact, one especially difficult part of the caves was named the “Great Wall of Vietnam” by the explorers because it was so difficult to cross.

Home to stalagmites, rivers, jungles, rare cave dwelling animals and ancient fossils, these caves are truly a fantastic experience for all the explorer enthusiasts out there. Some caverns of the cave are big enough to fit city blocks inside of them. It humbles your heart to witness the grandness with which Mother Earth creates, nourishes and keeps untouched certain parts of her only, unsullied by human intervention. The Sơn Đoòng caves are one such creation that pull you back to the ground to realize how minuscule you are compared to this massive creation!

After opening to the world, overseas tourism-related arrivals to Vietnam have increased. More than 400 tourists from all over the globe have booked tours to explore Sơn Đoòng in 2014, and more than 600 have booked tours for 2015. As a result of this growing trend in visiting the caves, there has been a rise in the tourism sector in Vietnam with more than 64 city-based enterprises registered to take part in advancing tourism. Moreover, Vietnam has also increased its flights to South Korea to accommodate for more international travel.

The approximate cost of the tours is more than $3,000. If you think that is pricey and too much to spend, go ahead and take a peek at the pictures below, and I bet that will change your mind. The caves are breathtakingly beautiful!